Research and News September 2018

We like to stay on top of the latest news in functional medicine and nutrition. If you do too, you’ll find our monthly, easy-to-digest compilation of research and news articles right here. Check back regularly to find updates, or follow us through our newsletters and social media to ensure you don’t miss any.

Glutamine for IBS-D and Preventing Chronic Effects of Acute Gastroenteritis
Glutamine is a helpful tool to help heal a leaky gut. We’ve been using it in Functional Medicine for decades. Now a randomized, controlled trial has reported that it may also be useful for patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or even for preventing GI symptoms becoming chronic after an acute bout of gastroenteritis. The mechanism of action that is thought to be behind these effects is thought to be… restoring normal intestinal permeability. The dose used in the study was 5 g glutamine three times daily for 8 weeks.

Long-Term Air Pollution Exposure Associates With Increased Rates of Cognitive Decline
There are several hidden health costs of air pollution. One recent study of individuals living in China has linked long-term exposure to higher levels of air pollution with increased rates of cognitive decline. If you’re concerned about air pollution in your area, you can invest in home air purifiers, HEPA filters, toxin-removing plants, and make sure your eating nutritious, detoxifying foods along with plenty of clean water, to help your body process and eliminate toxins. Reduce other exposures to toxins where you can, to reduce your total body burden. Find out more about how to halt, and even reverse, symptoms of cognitive decline, here.

Ketogenic Diet May be Useful for Melanoma
Cancer is in part a metabolic disease. Many cancer cells hijack specific energy pathways, including those that use glucose and amino acids as substrates (think carbohydrates and proteins). Recent research using melanoma cells indicates similar metabolic dysfunctions and suggest that melanomas may also respond favorably to a Ketogenic Diet where both carbohydrate and protein intake are restricted. This Restricted Ketogenic Diet is a medically-supervised diet that we use in certain cancer situations in our clinic and based on the important work of Dr. Thomas Seyfried.

Exercise is Essential to Prevent Age-Related Muscle Loss
As we age, the best way to preserve muscle integrity s through exercise. The causes of age-related muscle loss are numerous and complex, but exercise seems to trump all when it comes to prevention and even reversal, according to a recent report in The Scientist. Strength training is effective at making muscle, and aerobic exercises are important for muscle cell mitochondrial health, including by epigenetic mechanisms. Positive effects can happen very quickly – for example, one hour of brisk walking has a positive impact on insulin sensitivity that persists into the following day. Preserving healthy muscle status as we age is more important than you might think, since muscle cells have functions beyond simply movement – they are also essential for metabolic balance.

Evidence for Food Sensitivities in Autoimmunity
In Functional Medicine, IgG delayed food sensitivities are often looked at as potential drivers of autoimmune diseases of all types. In our clinical experience, and in those of many other practitioners, avoiding food triggers can be extremely important. However, scientific data to support the food-autoimmune connection has been sparse, which is why this paper caught my eye – a review of 100 patients with autoimmune disease, clear differences were seen in the level of IgG food antibodies compared with non-autoimmune controls. The most reactive foods were dairy, gluten/wheat, egg white and rice. Variable reactions were also seed from nuts.

Supplement Quality – Attention is ALWAYS Needed
The supplement industry is far more loosely regulated than the pharmaceutical industry, creating somewhat of a minefield when it comes to choosing a product that actually contains what the label says it does, in a form that is clinically effective, and without unwanted contaminants. Probiotics are the latest category to come under fire in recent reports that show many consumer companies fail to follow even the basic FDA recommendations for manufacturing best practices, that many products are not tested for strength, purity and composition, and that some products are found to contain contaminants and unlisted, potentially harmful live microorganisms. It’s why, in our clinic, we always stick to trusted manufacturers, who have independently proven their product integrity time and again. At a minimum, we recommend asking your product manufacturers to talk through their raw material sourcing, quality process and provide a Certificate of Analysis for the product in question.

I am eternally grateful to our sponsors who, by blogging, podcasting and advertising with us, enable me and my team to devote energy and time to writing and publication. All the companies who sponsor us are companies that I trust for myself and my patients and use regularly in my clinical practice. Please check out their websites! – Dr. KF

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The Sandy Hook Clinic (SHC) is located in the Sandy Hook Village section of Newtown, Connecticut in Fairfield County, Connecticut. The clinic is housed on the fourth floor of a rehabilitated old brick mill building, overlooking the Pootatuck River.